Colombian Chicken Stew (Pollo Sudado)

I have posted this before on my Facebook page, but i wanted to share here as well.
This is a dish i make often,  and the smells and flavors always bring me back to my childhood.

I found this particular recipe on MyColombianRecipes.com, which is a really awesome website with many authentic Colombian recipes as well as other types of recipes as well. I have tried several off this site and all have turned out delicious.

You will find the recipe below, including my variations.
I use a little bit more of everything and compensate when i don't have the exact version of something the recipe calls for, like using Russets instead of Yellow potatoes at times, for example.
If you would like to view the original recipe and site click here.

INGREDIENTS
(4 SERVINGS) (If you use my variations it will make about 6-8 servings instead)
8 Chicken drumsticks or thighs, without the skin (While the drumsticks add more flavor, i prefer white meat so i do 2 bone in chicken breasts and i will also include a few drumsticks or a couple of thighs)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ cup chopped onion (I use a whole onion)

¼ cup chopped red bell pepper (I use the entire pepper and will also use green most of the time. Red makes this dish prettier but for whatever reason red bell peppers are also much more expensive)
1 minced garlic clove (I use 2 -3)

2 cup chopped tomato (If i don't have enough fresh tomatoes around, i use a large can of petite diced tomatoes. Its easier and less expensive as well. ALSO- IF YOU WOULD LIKE A SPICIER VERSION USE A FEW CANS OF ROTEL INSTEAD)
1 chicken bouillon (I use 2)
1 tablespoon sazon goya with azafran (I use 2 tablespoons of this. You can find this seasoning in your "Latin" section of your supermarket. make sure its the kind WITH azafran )

¼ teaspoon cumin powder (i use a little more, i eyeball it)
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 small yellow potatoes, peeled and cut in half ( I love love love me some potatoes so i will always add a couple more than the recipe calls for. Also, if you don't have yellow potatoes or they are too expensive -they can be pricey sometimes- so I will often use good ol russets instead)
3 cups water (We like ours with lots of broth, so i use more water, about 6 cups. This is also necessary if you plan on using bone in chicken breasts and extra potatoes like me since adding those items take up more space in your pot)

White Rice (We will sometimes use yellow rice)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper and sauté until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, garlic, salt and ground pepper and sauté for 5 more minutes.

2. Add the chicken, water, chicken bouillon, sazon Goya and cumin powder. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the potatoes and cilantro and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

4. Serve over white rice.

I hope you try this recipe, i know you will love it.

Let me know what you think! 

Love and light, 

A

Morning Glory Muffins (gfcf)

These were hearty and delicious. Also gfcf, so Liam was able to gobble them up too. Lately he's been (a teeny bit) more open to trying new foods and textures and that little window of opportunity is all i need :)

The original Morning Glory muffin recipe can be found here:
Morning Glory Muffins (gfcf)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 1/4 cups gluten-free all purpose flour mix (if your mix contains xanthan gum or guar gum don't add the additional 1 teaspoon gum to the recipe)
• 1 teaspoon guar gum OR xanthan gum
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups grated carrots (about 4 large carrots)
• 1 large peeled and shredded apple
• 8 ounces drained, crushed pineapple
• 3/4 cups raisins
• 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup light olive oil OR canola oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C

Grease standard muffin pan or line with paper muffin cup liners.

In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, gluten-free flour blend, guar gum OR xanthan gum, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Use a large whisk to thoroughly combine.

In a separate large bowl combine shredded carrots, apples, crushed pineapple, raisins, coconut and nuts. Stir to thoroughly mix.

Add the fruit, vegetable, nut mixture to the dry ingredients followed by eggs, oil and vanilla. Beat the mixture to thoroughly combine ingredients.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yield: About 2 dozen standard size muffins

Love and light, 

A

Apple and Pear Crisp (gfcf)

Jason has been doing most of the grocery shopping lately and this time he came home with a tray full of about 8 pears which are very ripe (They were on super sale for this reason). In fact there are 3 or 4 left that i need to find a recipe for by tomorow so they don't go to waste.
Today, because i also have a lot of apples, i decided to make this Apple and Pear crisp. I also decided to make it GFCF, so that Liam could have some too,since this is a dish he would more than likely try and like, which his a rarity.(also he has daddys sweet tooth haha)

A few personal notes/tweaks-

For the filling:
I also used Pamelas baking and pancake mix, but dont be afraid to try a different mix or make your own GF Mix!
I used 1 Granny Smith apple, 2 Yellow Delicious and 2 regular ol' pears (that's what we had and i wanted/needed to use more pears anyway)
i did not use the agave nectar, only because i am not a fan and hear its not too good for you (up there with high fructose corn syrup, supposedly ) plus i think Liam may have had an allergic reaction to it a while back but i am not sure so i don't want to risk it....

For the crisp topping:
I used Earth Balance Coconut butter/spread, which is super delicious and i totally recommend it for anyone and everyone. I use it all the time.

EASY APPLE AND PEAR CRISP RECIPE

GFCF Apple Pear Crisp from Glutenfreegoddess

Fruit crisps are easy seasonal desserts. And lucky for us gluten-free goddesses, they translate beautifully to no-gluten status.

Ingredients:

For the fruit filling:

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin

2 Yellow Delicious apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin

1 large red pear, cored, peeled, sliced thin

4 tablespoons unsweetened apple juice

1 tablespoon raw agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon gluten-free Apple Pie Spice (or cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice mix)

Pinch sea salt

For the crisp topping:

3/4 cup organic light brown sugar

3/4 cup gluten-free pancake and baking mix, such as Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3-4 tablespoons Spectrum Organic Shortening or vegan margarine

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Schmear a deep 9-inch pie plate with vegan shortening.

In a medium to large bowl, toss the apple and pear slices in the apple juice, agave, Apple Pie Spice, and a small pinch of sea salt.

In a separate bowl, stir together the organic brown sugar, gluten-free flour mix, and cinnamon. Add the shortening in dabs and rub between your fingers until moist crumbs form a crumble topping mixture.

Sprinkle a handful of the crumble mixture into the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Spoon in the apple and pear slices; add all the liquid. Top with the remaining crumble mixture.

Bake at 350ºF. in the center of the oven, for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the fruit is fork tender and the filling is bubbling and thickened. The top should be golden brown.

Cool a bit on a wire rack before serving warm or at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

The crisp may be reheated in the oven or a microwave, but it truly is best eaten the day you make it.

Serves 4.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

Here is mine:

I couldn't resist, and took a bite of it :) It is SO good. 

Everyone tried some, and its almost gone....

It is the best fresh out of the oven and i would suggest a dollop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt to make it perfect. 

Yum.

Let me know what you think!

Love and Light, 

A

Cheesy Chicken Pasta

A good old friend gave me a recipe a while back for a dish she makes called Chicken Spaghetti, which is the bomb. 

I have tweaked it a little, so that the babies can also eat it too since her dish was a bit spicy and its hard for them to pick up and eat spaghetti very well for now.
Its so freaking good and i make it at least a few times a month.
Check out my recipe for  Cheesy Chicken Pasta and let me know what you think!

Side note:
This was originally posted on my 3 little birds page along with the following helpful and healthy tip-

Danielle Gaines said...

Yum on the pasta ! i make something similar for harper. However , you need to kick the (soup) cans! Full of sodium . I make a base with low sodium/ no salt added organic chicken stock which is a little more expensive but you dont need much . You can cook the chicken and remove it from the pan , deglaze the pan with the stock and add a couple tablespoons of flour . The fat from the chx and the flour actually create a roux . Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer till it reduces. Its just as good and way less salt ! i also use variations of this as a base for chicken pot pie and chicken and dumplings : ) yum!

October 16, 2012 4:33 PM 

3 little birds- Adventures of The Parch Family said...

Yes, i know and you are so right! I have just never gotten a recipe down for a base and i simply need to get in the habit of doing it that way too. Your recipe sounds delish and i am most def going to give it go next time a recipe calls for a "soup". Also, whenever i boil chicken i keep the stock and freeze what i dont use so theres that. thanks for sharing!

October 16, 2012 4:41 PM 

Love and light, 

A

Herb Crusted bone in Chicken Breasts with rice pilaf and Brussels sprouts

On Monday i was looking for a quick, healthy and yummy recipe for some chicken breasts i had in the fridge that needed to be used. After looking online i found a few pretty good recipes, but i either didn't have all of the ingredients needed or didn't have the time for the ideas i liked.  So, i decided to take just some of the ideas from those that sounded good and came up with my own dinner ensemble. H So good! It got the family's approval for sure. Try it! 

Ingredients

4 Tbsp	olive oil
2-3 Tbsp	minced onion
2-3 clove	minced garlic
2 tsp	dried thyme
1 tsp	dried rosemary crushed
1/2 tsp	ground sage
	salt to taste
	pepper to taste
	a couple of dashes of hot pepper sauce to taste
4	bone in chicken breasts with skin
	a handful of chopped parsley

Directions

 Preheat oven to 425

In a bowl (large enough to be able to put your chicken breasts in one at a time) prepare basting sauce by combining oil with minced onion, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce.

Turn chicken breasts in sauce to coat thoroughly. Place skin side up in shallow baking dish. Cover (I used alum foil and covered loosely).

Roast at 425, basting occasionally with pan drippings for about 40 to 60 minutes. NOTE: Stop basting after 30-40 minutes and take cover off for the last 10 to 20 minutes to get skin crispy. Times vary based on your oven and size of chicken breasts.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve. 

I served this dish with a side of (boxed) rice pilaf and some fresh Brussels sprouts, which i boiled until fork tender, then placed in a serving bowl with a little bit of salt, pepper, butter and a squirt of lemon juice. Delish!